Manchester United could well have identified a leading option to replace Harry Maguire this summer, amid reports that the club have held talks regarding the signing of OGC Nice star, Jean-Clair Todibo.
What's the latest on Todibo to Man United?
With West Ham United having seemingly agreed a £30m deal to help rescue Maguire from his Old Trafford nightmare, transfer insider Fabrice Hawkins has also revealed that United have been in contact with both Todibo's representatives and the Ligue 1 outfit over a prospective move.
Writing on Twitter, Hawkins stated: "Manchester United targets Jean-Clair Todibo. Discussions with Nice and the defender's entourage. The Reds devils are waiting to sell Harry Maguire to take action. West Ham have accelerated on HM and hope to complete the transfer."
While the 6 foot 3 ace is valued at around €15m (£13m) by CIES Football Observatory, prior reports have indicated that the Frenchman could command a fee of closer to €30m (£26m), with four years left to run on his existing deal.
Should Man United sign Todibo?
With Maguire - who was only recently stripped of the captaincy by Erik ten Hag - set to be on his way to the London Stadium, the Red Devils will have a real pressing need to bolster their centre-back ranks before the end of the window, particularly with Raphael Varane having proven somewhat unreliable due to his persistent injury woes.
In the form of Todibo, Ten Hag could find himself a relatively youthful and "underrated" talent - in the words of Jacek Kulig - who can represent a long-term option at the Theatre of Dreams, with the one-time Barcelona man having been as "solid as a rock" in his homeland of late, as per Kulig.
The former France U20 international will likely be looking to emulate the impact that Thiago Silva has enjoyed in the Premier League since trading Paris Saint-Germain for Chelsea back in the summer of 2020, with Todibo himself having previously spoken of his admiration for the veteran Brazilian:
"I've been inspired a lot by Andrea Pirlo in central midfield, and also by Thiago Silva in defence."
As per the Bundesliga's official website, one of the former Schalke man's key strengths is the fact that he is 'superb on the ball', as he notably ranks in the top 5% for successful take-ons per 90 among his European peers and in the top 15% for progressive passes per 90.
That composure in possession is also seen by the fact that one-time Toulouse titan also ranks in the top 20% for pass completion and the top 13% for passes attempted, ensuring he is going someway to matching Silva's impact for the Blues, as the 38-year-old ranks in the top 8% and the top 7% for those same two metrics, respectively.
Despite his advancing years, the latter man - who won the Champions League with the west Londoners back in 2021 - remains a truly exceptional presence at the heart of the defence, with his average match rating of 7.26 during the 2022/23 campaign, as per Sofascore, ranking him second behind only Bruno Fernandes in relation to the United squad.
The likeness between Silva and Todibo can also be seen by their defensive prowess and knack for sniffing out the danger, with the younger man having averaged 3.4 tackles and interceptions per game in Ligue 1 last season, while his experienced counterpart averaged 2.8 in that regard in England's top flight.
With Silva a simply "incredible centre-back" - according to ex-Chelsea boss Frank Lampard - the hope will be that Todibo can reach similar heights if he is to follow in his idol's footsteps and trade France for England this summer.